Dreamcatcher
by Mage of the Heart
Summary: Ricardo Marquinez had always had bad dreams. Haunted by memories that ruined his nights, he never had a true relationship. When he met his best friends sister, he met his ideal girl- It was just too bad she was eleven at the time. M Rating later.
1. First Meetings

I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters

**I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters**

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**Dreamcatcher**

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**This is a Sequel to The Danger Of Dreams and Keep On Dreaming, following Ricardo and Lily, from the day they meet. I started The Danger of Dreams, and just fell in love with this pairing, so I figured I'd make a story out of them.**

**Enjoy :)**

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Ricardo Marquinez had always had bad dreams. For as long as he could remember he'd fallen to sleep with a fear of the long, terribly haunting cavern of his own mind as his eyes closed to the darkness of the night. He often went for days without sleep, staying awake for so long that his body gave way to exhaustion and he would fall into a sleep of fear and painful memories that made sweat seep from every pore in his body. He woke up to wet sheets and the empty darkness of a room which he could never recognize, with people whose voices he could not register until his heavy breathing and strangled sobs had died down.

His life prior to school had been full of recurring dreams, horrifying images and memories playing before his eyes so very vividly that there was no sign that it was a dream until he awoke again, sat somewhere so very different to the prisons of his mind that he became so worried, so confused and uncertain, that more than once he would hyperventilate, and his guardian would rush into the room, waving her wand and relieving the tight knot of panic in his chest.

When he entered Hogwarts, his dreams were as vivid as ever, but the room that he slept in was so unfamiliar in the norm, that after a night of horror and anguish, he would wake to more confusion than ever before. The first night in the Slytherin dormitory found him crying out, sweating and weeping, awakening the five boys with whom he shared his dormitory; that first night, he knew he'd found friends worth keeping.

It had been the same dream as always on that night, and it chilled his bones as much then as it had the first time. Sometimes, to some degree, it was worse than ever before; each time he noticed details he had before failed to note, and each tiny, apparently insignificant detail would heighten his torture more so than ever before. Ricardo remembered clearly the looks on his roommates faces as he awoke, tangled in the sheets of his four poster bed, tears streaming down his face and sweat forcing his pyjama top and shorts to stick to his body. He had screamed for help, screamed for Eva, his guardian and his friend; it was not Eva who came.

Sometimes, Ricardo wondered what might have happened had James Black not been placed in Slytherin house that night; the thought was an unwanted one. All that Ricardo knew, was that the moment James had calmed him down, he had forged friendships that felt as strong and unbreakable as goblin-wrought silver.

He had thrashed around in fear for what felt like hours, his calls falling on the ears of four strangers, his anguish unshared and heightened by that loneliness. It was James' face that stopped him reaching for his wand and sending hexes in every direction he could. While four boys had looked at him in fear and worry, James had met his eyes with an understanding so plain and clear that something had stilled in Ricardo, calming him instantly. If ever Ricardo had met someone whose face could calm without words, it was that of James Black.

Later, James had told Ricardo in strict confidence that his father used to have nightmares that forced him to relive any memory in his life that he had come to despise, nightmares so vivid that he would try to change their events, try to somehow undo whatever had happened. It was James that Ricardo told of his past. It was James that convinced the other four boys that Ricardo was not a freak to be feared. It was James that Ricardo valued above all of his other friends. It was James who, at night, when Ricardo awoke in tears as he often did, would stand at the base of his bed and speak to him softly, calm him with words, not magic, and sit up in the deserted common room into the early hours if Ricardo could not bare to return to bed. In six years of his company, whenever his sleep had been disturbed, Ricardo had had the reassurance of his best friend, a boy whose understanding on a cold September night had founded something no money could buy; a friendship of trust, confidence, help.

When James Black was announced as Head Boy, Ricardo was truly worried.

It was not that Ricardo was unhappy for his friend, for that was just not the case. If anyone deserved such a position, it was James. No, his worry was based purely on selfish motives; Head Boy and Head Girl had the privileges of their own private dormitories, and after six years of waking to his best friends reassurances, Ricardo was unable to face the possibility that his nightmares might suddenly be faced alone, as he always feared they would be.

James knew. James always knew. The moment they saw each other, a few weeks before the end of that summer, the day after they received their Hogwarts letters, James knew. He saw the look, partially hidden in Ricardo's blue eyes, of fear and uncertainty, and he had had a solution in a split second.

"Don't worry about it," he had said, meeting his friends eyes with understanding. "I'll talk to Snape. I'll sort something out. I promise, you don't need to worry."

It had been in that moment that the depth of their friendship had truly revealed itself to him. It had been then that he'd promised never to do anything to hurt him. He hadn't met Lily.

--

He didn't see James that night until they were in the common room; his Head Boy rounds on the train meant that they didn't leave together, and he hadn't really had the time to scour the benches for all of them before the Sorting. When he saw James, he smiled and raised a hand, briefly clapping his shoulder before sitting back down. James raised an inquisitive eyebrow, and Ricardo replied with a nod. They didn't need words to know that he was asking how he'd been sleeping. The others might have missed it; neither of them could have.

They had sat talking for a while, James with a girl cuddled against him, Ricardo sat thoughtfully, lost in his own mind until James went about introducing them to his little sister. Ricardo had not met Lily before, because, though James had invited him to stay more than once in the last six years, he was not yet ready to tell people who he had never met that he slept with great difficulty, and woke up to his own yells and sobs. He knew they could have silenced the room easily, so that nobody could hear his anguish and pain but James, but there was always the underlying worry that he would wake up and not know where he was. James had never pressured him, though Ricardo knew that every summer, the invitation would be there, and so Ricardo had never met James' family, except for when James' two brothers arrived at Hogwarts. Lily was different to his brothers though, and Ricardo knew it. James had often went about explaining his close relationship with his sister, so close that the six year age difference seemed not to matter. When he saw Lily, his first thought was that in a year or twos time, she would have boys chasing after her without a doubt. Her long straight hair, her emotive, grey eyes and her aristocratic facial features would attract many, and her slim figure would catch many an eye.

She was shy, he noted, and when her eyes fell on him at James' introduction she looked unnerved and blushed. He tried his best to be friendly, though he was worried he scared her.

"How's it going kiddo?" He had asked, thinking it would make her feel more comfortable. Apparently it wasn't the case, and he watched the girl walk over to the corner with her brother in bemusement. He caught her looking at him and tried to smile, though was quite sure she missed it as she looked away almost instantly. When James returned, smirking at him with a knowing look that for once Ricardo couldn't decipher, he felt completely confused.

--

Lily Black had never had a true nightmare; occasionally, she had a disconcerting dream that left her a little shaken, but they were few and far between. If and when she had one, she would search out her father or James, letting them cuddle her until her nervous state had passed, before she returned to bed. She had no reason to be scared of sleep, for she had nothing to relive in dreams that caused her pain. For all of her life, she had been sheltered and protected by a family who loved her. She never needed anything, had done nothing that might cause her worry, and was completely content with her family life.

When she entered Hogwarts, she did not worry to fall asleep in the company of her room mates, and nor did she awaken in a sweat. It was easy to pass into a new life of school, with different people. She had little to worry about, and made friends quickly.

Scorpius Malfoy was her first crush; the moment he cracked a joke at dinner in the Great Hall, she thought she had fallen in love, and spent the rest of the evening becoming friends with him. It was changed suddenly, when she met her brothers best friend.

Lily had heard about Ricardo; James said he couldn't come over to their house in summer because he was busy, so she had never met him. However, she knew he was a practical joker, a comedian, and an outstandingly intelligent person. Both she and her mother had wanted to meet him, simply because they were more bookish than anyone else within their family. Lily hadn't expected a good looking boy whose voice made her stomach swoon. Meeting him, after spending several hours talking to a boy with whom she had convinced herself she was in love, was all very confusing.

He was dark-haired, with a fringe that covered one eye. Though from where she stood she could not decipher the colour of his eyes, from what she could tell, he he had a perfectly crafted face. He had a strong jaw line, slightly tanned skin, and smiling lips. He wore green and black stripey gloves that Lily rather liked, and his voice was soft and warm. When her brother asked if she liked him, she could only blush in embarrassment. Perhaps she wasn't in love with Scorpius after all.

--

Their second meeting was at breakfast, and Ricardo was busy shoveling as much food into his mouth as fast as he could, trying to give himself some energy after a particularly restless night. James was sat next to him, with Lily on his left, but he had not spoken a word to anyone since he sat down, except to confirm his timetable to the irritable Head of House, Professor Snape. The first time James spoke, it didn't register with him, so lost in thought was he that he had forgotten where he was.

"Oi, Ricardo, what have you got first?"

After swallowing a mouthful of food, Ricardo checked his timetable, scanning his eyes over the text, smiling happily when he found that nothing situated that mornings box. "Nothing whatsoever my dear fellow!" He grinned. "Why?" He wondered vaguely if James had a free period.

"This lot need help getting to Defence Against the Dark Arts... you couldn't give them a hand could you?" James nodded towards his sister and Scorpius, who were both looking nervous.

Ricardo shrugged, "sure," he said, then winked at Lily. "Always one to help a pretty lady." He received a hard smack around the head from James and proceeded to eat his breakfast, only half listening to his friends warning about his sister.

--

If Lily could have picked anyone to take her to her first lesson at Hogwarts, it would have been him. As a typical pre-pubescent eleven year old girl, she was attracted to a boy, and therefore believed herself in love with him. However many books she had read, she had not yet progressed to romance novels that might convince her that her attraction to him was on a purely animal level. Having not had a single conversation with Ricardo, she had convinced herself that it was love at first sight, and spent the first night of her time at Hogwarts wondering when they could be married. She soon discovered that he was as funny and entertaining as James had told her, and spent breakfast and most of the walk to Defence Against the Dark Arts laughing at his poetic ramblings.

As Ricardo walked both she and Scorpius towards their classroom, he pointed out passing students, muttering things in a low voice that caused the two of them to laugh so hard their sides hurt. A blonde haired, skinny boy in Ravenclaw passed by, and Ricardo pointed at him, saying, "he thought that a lust potion was Draught of Dreamless Sleep, and took it before bedtime. He ended up jumping on one of his roommates and asking for things too rude for your young and innocent ears!"

A red-headed girl from Hufflepuff pushed past them with a group of friends and Ricardo smirked. "She fancied Professor Snape, and, I tell no lies, threatened to 'cut off his winky' if he didn't kiss her." Chortling, Ricardo added, "you can imagine how he took that!"

Lily giggled and looked at Scorpius, who looked slightly unnerved by Ricardo's joking. She smiled at him, then looked at their guide as he began to talk to them again.

"You know on our first day, me and James got detention for not turning up on time..." He grinned wickedly at the two younger children, who both looked terrified.

"Can we hurry up then?" Lily asked urgently, her voice seeming to grow louder and squeakier. Ricardo chuckled at her, running a hand through his dark hair.

"I'm joking. They don't expect you to know it like the back of your hand... yet..." He smiled as Lily began to bite her lip and quicken her pace in nervousness. In her increased haste, she dropped a quill on the floor, bending to pick it up just as two sixth years rounded the corner, both snorting as the tallest spoke up. "Bend over for the big boys sweetie!" They called at her.

Ricardo felt a ripple of anger towards them, and a rush of valour and loyalty to James made him whip his wand out of his robes, thinking of an incantation to a spell, and shooting two yellow bolts of light into the boys chests. They both fell to the floor instantly, their legs giving out, and he lifted them up by the scruffs of their necks, hissing quietly so that only they could hear. "Say anything to her again, and I'm sure the Head Boy won't mind beating you to a pulp with his bare hands." With a warning glare, and an extra flourish of his wand that forced their ears to grow at rapid speed, he dropped them and walked away, looking at Lily and Scorpius with a smile.

"Alright Kiddo?" He directed at Lily, who nodded and managed a stammered thank you. Ricardo sent her a brilliant, confidence instilling smile, flicking his hair from his eyes and revealing their dark blue colour. Lily felt her stomach twist in attraction as she met them for the first time, seeing the mysterious depth of his character, yet his humour and good nature, all at the same time.

"No problemo duck, I was getting bored anyway," Ricardo grinned, then checked his watch, swearing to himself, and quickly apologizing. "We're going to be late, come on!" Without permission or warning, he reached out and grabbed Lily and Scorpius' hands, pulling them down through the thinning crowds of people and breaking into a rhyme that made Lily laugh. Scorpius hardly noted it, so horrified was he to be holding the hand of a boy.

"Oh fickle school, you are a fool, to have so many floors, just let it go, I'm sure you know, that people now have doors!"

Lily shrieked with laughter, "it really doesn't make sense!"

As they skipped up a spiral staircase, not slowing for a second, Ricardo said, "you're as bad as your brother, you know that?"

And the unmistakeable glow of pride on her face made him smile at her warmly.

--

They reached the door to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom late, meaning that the other classes on the corridor had all entered into their rooms and begun lessons. Ricardo grinned at the two young Slytherins sheepishly. "Tell Professor Golsum that Ricardo Marquinez apologizes for having taken you to the wrong room." He bowed mockingly to them both and smirked. "Have a good day now kid's! And don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He winked at Scorpius, smiled at Lily, then turned on his heel and left them to their lesson.

--

Walking down the deserted corridor, Ricardo reverted to reflecting on his dreams yet again. He was always worse when he was left alone, to his own thoughts and memories. With others, he could make jokes, laugh loudly, keep his mind away from the horrible truth of his own mind. Sometimes he wished he had the guts to visit Professor McGonnagall and ask to have his dreams Obliviated, but he knew that would not be allowed - they formed his very life, the person he was... his traumas of the past had brought him to the place he was in.

He entered the library, finding a book on Advanced Defensive magic, and settling down to scan the pages for an interesting spell he did not yet know. He had worked hard since his very first day at Hogwarts, always settling down to work, always forcing his mind to concentrate on the task at hand. He achieved Outstanding grades, was in the Slytherin Quidditch team, and did anything he could to distract himself. He and James pulled pranks in the evenings. Sometimes, he would deliberately land himself in detention if he had no evening plans and he would be alone to his thoughts. He was a nerd, a prankster, a rebel and a ladies man all at once, for the sake of his own distraction. Never in his life had he spent the night with a girl; perhaps that was why he longed for something real, not just teenage fooling around. Yet he could never tell anyone but his room-mates why this was so. He established a reputation as a player, and did not care to defend himself, for the sake of putting off an explanation. Ricardo knew that one day, to settle down, he would have to tell someone other than James and his other room mates about his dreams and nightmares, yet the one girl he had considered- a half-blooded girl on holiday who attended Durmstrang- had called him fickle, and not wished to hear his story. He knew that he shunned his own possibilities by not simply making a public admittance, yet he could not bring himself to do so. To tell would be to give an explanation, and that explanation was one which he did not wish to be giving to anyone.

--

**Thereee we go.**

**I know I posted The Danger of Dreams chapter only yesterday, but I got a couple of reviews asking for this, and a few Private Messages, so I thought I'd do this chapter and see how it went down.**

**Let me know what you think :-) **

**Mage of the Heart**


	2. It's In Her Eyes

I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters

** I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters**

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The evening found Ricardo seated on the sofa, with Lily and Deneb on either side and Scorpius, Jared and Deneb a little further down on the small, three-seater sofa they had managed to extend inconspicuously. Comfortable though they were, they were still seated leg to leg, and when James joined them Deneb moved up begrudgingly to allow James to sit beside his sister. Ricardo listened as James and Jared exchanged words on the sofa, almost smiling when Jared stated that Scorpius had been molesting his friends' sister, but shaking his head.

"Mate, don't even go there. They're like... eleven." He frowned, then looked at Lily thoughtfully. "You are eleven, right?"

Lily nodded, "yes," then looked down at her hands nervously. Ricardo shrugged, and then attempted rather unsuccessfully to move his arm, which was jammed uncomfortably between himself and Lily. She shifted forwards, receiving a small smile from Ricardo, who then draped his arm over the back of the sofa casually, running a hand through his hair. Lily looked at him and he grinned. "Thanks kiddo," he murmured, so quietly that nobody else heard them.

Unseen by the others, Lily blushed.

--

He got on well with Lily, he came to find. Sometimes, when the others of their group had not returned from classes yet, or they finished dinner before them, the two would sit and talk casually about their day. Ricardo helped her with her homework on several occasions, and she told him embarrassing secrets about James that made his eyes water. Even when the others were with them, occasionally they would share a private joke, or leave the group for Ricardo to look over her latest Potions essay. In his opinion, they were much better than anything he had produced at her age, but he would occasionally pick out a weakly phrased sentence, or a slight error in the property of an ingredient. He himself might have found such nitpicking frustrating; Lily seemed settled on attaining perfect marks. Though Ricardo couldn't quite place why, he felt exceedingly comfortable with her, and more than once he opened up about his love-interest from the summer, who had returned to her school, and who he hadn't heard from her since.

Lily told him that the girl in question was a 'fanny'. Ricardo fell about laughing, and quickly changed the subject.

--

Ricardo threw himself head first into Quidditch practices that season. After a somewhat easy try-out, Deneb had given him the job of teaching Lily and Scorpius, the two new Chasers on the team, all that he knew, as well as trying to learn all of the new tactics that Deneb had thrown at them. On one evening, he was trying to stop the two of them flying next to each other for the whole training session, and seemed to be failing miserably.

"Come on guys!" He complained. "You can't just chat for the whole game! The reason we have _three_ Chasers is so we can have them in three _different_ places!" In the end, his pleading was to no avail, and so he proceeded to put a shield charm around them, stopping them getting within 10 metres of each other. After three times trying to fly next to Lily, and several bruises from landing on his rear end, Scorpius gave up, and they began playing some decent Quidditch; Ricardo was pleasantly surprised.

--

Their last session before their opening game against Gryffindor found the Slytherin team gathered around Deneb, though nobody was really paying attention.

"I want you all to be in bed by ten on Friday. Saturday morning we eat as a team; we leave the Hall as a team; we get changed as a team. I'm not going to settle for excuses."

James and Ricardo had exchanged a small smirk, and James piped up in a small and squeaky voice. "Excuse me Sir, I've got rounds on Friday, I can't go to bed for ten!"

Deneb had glowered as the rest of the team laughed, and was beginning to say something about Snape when Ricardo skipped forwards, taking Deneb's hand jokingly in his and fiddling flirtatiously with his fingers, while batting his eyelashes and speaking in a husky voice. "Dennybabes, why don't you take me to bed really, really, really early on Friday, so you can talk to me about tactics..?" He began pouting, caressing the cringing Captains cheek as he went on. "I'm not sure I understand the from-behind routine yet!"

Deneb shoved Ricardo away, and Ricardo looking at Lily, draping a hand over his eyes dramatically. "Rejection!" He mouthed, fake-sobbing, missing the next part of the conversation, until Deneb said something else.

"... this is the only time of week you actually listen to me!"

Ricardo smirked at Lily, winking before leaping to throw his arms around Deneb's neck. "Say it not my love! My ears burn! My heart it breaks! I know no such sound as the soft velvet of your voice as you caress my..."

His poetic declaration was interrupted by James' louder and more commanding voice. Ricardo faltered slightly, listening as James said, "Thank you! Ricardo, are you not bored of your gay relationship with Deneb yet?"  
In truth, Ricardo had many replies to that, but given he was not allowed to complete his former sentence, he grasped his chest, feigning heartbreak and bringing false tears to his own eyes. "Why fore you say such things that break my heart in two? My dearest Deneb, oh I love him, it is true."  
He grinned apologetically at James, who was laughing along with the others, before falling back to talk to Deneb as they headed into the changing rooms.  
"You're stealing the show!" Deneb muttered, solely for Ricardo's ears.  
Ricardo grinned, nodding his head. "I know that, but it's a lot of fun knowing that I'm the gay icon among the group."  
Deneb looking at him in utter disgust, "Why?"  
With a smile, Ricardo said in a low voice, "Well, when Larius finally admits he wants my ass, I get to pretend it's all yours." He grinned, slapping his own behind and winking at Deneb's rather horrified expression before skipping off to join the others.

He awoke on Saturday morning as he always did, with sweat coating his body and tears streaming down his face. His body shuddered for several minutes as his sobs slowed to a halt, before he headed for the bathroom that adjoined James' room, submerging himself in the hot water and attempting, as he did every morning, to wash away the fear of his latest nightmares. It took him half an hour to feel as though he were vaguely clean, despite lathering his whole body repeatedly. Each morning, he swore he must use half a bottle of soap. He left the bathroom, towelling his hair dry and attempting to think of anything but the previous night, averting his eyes from his own bed as he flicked his wand at it, and combing his hair hurriedly before he left the room, his lips and throat dry as he headed for the Great Hall and breakfast, ignoring Deneb's desire to eat as a team; his stomach was rumbling, and he needed to stop thinking.  
It seemed though, that he was not the only one to have gone against Deneb's orders. Marked, Jared, Scorpius and Lily were all seated together at the bottom of the table, though the two first years seemed to have turned the colour of milk, even as the other two tried to convince them to eat.  
Ricardo sat between Lily and Jared, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder before helping himself to numerous sausages, rashers of bacon, eggs, bread and baked beans. Jared rolled his eyes. "Rough night?" He asked.  
Ricardo nodded, thankful for his former roommate's use of their code for his bad dreams amongst others. "Roughest."  
"Dig in my dear fellow!" Jared said, slapping Ricardo's back as he himself speared a sausage on his fork and took a large bite. Lily took a bite of toast, and looked as though she might vomit. Scorpius had beaten her to it.

As they kicked off from the ground, Ricardo, Lily and Scorpius sped off in different directions, Ricardo zooming straight down the centre, Lily and Scorpius taking either side of the pitch. He twisted to catch the Quaffle, tucking it under his arm as he spun to avoid a bludger, offloading the red ball to Lily, who caught it gleefully and shot off on her broom, somehow managing to avoid two bludgers and her brother Remus. He grinned as she threw it easily to Scorpius, who threw it hard and fast through the hoops at the end of the pitch. Ricardo let out a whooping noise, flying past Scorpius and high-fiving him, before intercepting the Quaffle from a scrawny boy on the Gryffindor team.

Gryffindor pulled two goals back before the three of them managed to score five. The last goal came seconds before James darted towards the goal, snatching the Snitch from the Keepers foot to cheers of delight from the Slytherin team. Ricardo cheered, darting forward to seize James in a hug, before Lily flew at them, joining in their awkward three-way embrace, her head ending up rather comfortably on Ricardo's chest as James squished them both, laughing, before the rest of team slammed into them from all sides, pulling them to the floor in a laughing heap. They all dismounted, laughing, and Deneb, Markeb and Scorpius proceeded to begin dancing in a line, singing a badly rhyming limerick that Ricardo couldn't quite decipher. He laughed, turning to Lily, who was glowing with happiness at their victory. Ricardo didn't really think about it, and pulled her into his arms in a warm hug, smiling as he did so.  
"Well played," he said, absently rubbing her back.  
"Thank you."  
He looked at her for a moment, then smiled and pulled back. "Come on, let's go get changed and have a long hot shower!"  
She stared at him in worry, and Ricardo snorted. "Don't worry, I'm only joking. I'll keep my clothes on."

"Not a bad game 'ey kiddo?" Ricardo said as he settled down next to Lily on the sofa, his eyes dancing with amusement as a blonde girl seated herself suddenly in James' lap and began propositioning him.  
"James, darling, you were absolutely fantastic today," she said, stroking his cheek. Ricardo and Lily exchanged an amused look. "He's pulled," Ricardo muttered to her, grinning. Lily giggled.  
"Thanks," they heard James reply, sounding rather uncomfortable.  
"Do you want to show me how fantastic you really are with your hands?"  
Ricardo snorted with laughter, looking at Lily and wondering if she even understood. Judging by the flush of her cheeks, he assumed she did. He heard James' rejecting her, and knew instantly what was coming next. Sure enough, she was placing her hand on his leg almost instantly.  
"You were too Ricky baby!" And for some reason, the idea of sex at this moment in time was rather unattractive, though he couldn't place exactly why. With a raised eyebrow, he looked at her coolly. ""Thanks Mira, but I'm not really in the mood either, Deneb's over there, he's the Captain."  
And before he knew it, she'd skipped over to Deneb.  
"Sometimes, I worry about her." James stated bluntly. Ricardo nodded his agreement. She was rather too obvious for her own good sometimes. Lily looked from one to the other uncomfortably.  
"Why do you sleep with her?"  
And their heads snapped around, Ricardo's neck cracking like a whip as he twisted to meet James' eyes. The look on James' face was one of horror. Ricardo wished that his were too, but he knew the look on his face was nothing short of amusement. He couldn't help himself, and started to talk.  
"Because to put it bluntly, she's-"  
He was interrupted by James, who said fiercely, "our own little teddy when we get cold." There was a warning glint in James' eyes, and Ricardo fell silent.  
"I know what sex is James."  
He couldn't help himself. He guffawed loudly, trying to stuff his fist into his mouth to stop himself, but he could not shake the utter amusement that shot through his body as her big brother looked utterly horrified and searched for some explanation as to how she had found out..

Ricardo knew he'd been crying out again; he always knew, because it was then that James would wake him up by tearing the four-poster bed open. He shot up, awakening instantly, fear and confusion gripping him as he searched for something familiar, someone he knew... he found it in the grey eyes that looked at him from the end of his bed, and as his rasping breaths slowed, and his tears subsided slightly, he nodded his head. "Fine... thanks." Although he knew-as did James- that he was not fine at all, but that nothing they said could help. He peeled the sheets from his body, and headed towards the door.  
"Want me to come with you?" James offered.  
Ricardo shook his head and left without a word.

Taking the stairs up to the common room, Ricardo's head swam with painful memories, his eyes watering continuously, tears trailing down his cheeks as he walked, oblivious to the chill of the air on his bare chest and arms. He wished, for perhaps the millionth time, that he could just forget, that he could simply be normal, untroubled by dreams of long passed happenings.  
He collapsed on the sofa in the abandoned common room, taking in the debris of the evening; parchment, quills, discarded sweet wrappers, letters from home that were not worth keeping.. clearly the house elves had not come to clean yet, which meant that he still had hours before morning when he could busy himself with activity. He sighed, burying his face in his hands and feeling his body heave with silent sobs. After a while, his sobbing stopped, and he sat back on the sofa, trying to think of nothing, and ended up falling asleep.

Lily lay in her bed, biting her lip in annoyance. The rest of the girls in her dorm were all sleeping soundly, but she herself needed to read before settling down, and the book she wanted lay on the table next to the sofa, in the common room. Dare she go and get it? The question seemed to run around in her brain for hours. She'd been told by James that Snape sometimes scoured the common room for children out of bed after hours, and though she was not sure whether to believe it or not, she was not sure she wanted to find out for herself... yet she couldn't sleep, and she wouldn't until she had it... If only she had her Uncle Harry's invisibility cloak, then she could go and retrieve it easily, and nobody would know...  
She twiddled her thumbs on top of her bed sheet, and then threw it aside decisively, slipping on a dressing gown before heading quickly and quietly toward the common room.

When she heard a noise, she thought that perhaps James, Ricardo and the others had stayed up, that perhaps it was not as late as she presumed, yet when she entered the Common Room, there was nobody to be seen on any of the sofas, yet cries reached her ears that seemed to tear at her insides. She couldn't see where it was coming from and headed over to their sofa, looking around with a frown as the cries of pain seemed to get louder.  
Only when she turned to pick up her book did she see Ricardo, on the floor, thrashing around as tears streamed down his face, his black hair plastered to his forehead, body glistening with sweat. She tried to decipher the words that left his lips but couldn't. She approached him tentatively, worried and scared to see him so vulnerable.  
"Ricardo?" She said quietly. He didn't wake, and his anguish seemed to worsen, his cries getting louder. "Ricardo!" She said, louder this time. She didn't dare touch him, scared what might happen. The cries died down, but his sobs continued, and he kept muttering. She called his name again, and this time he shot up, suddenly awake, blue eyes filled with a fear and confusion so deep and plain that she almost jumped back. He looked at her for a long while, his chest heaving, eyes searching and still fearful as he looked back into her own.

He didn't know what it was he was looking for; he awoke and he didn't recognize her at all. He wouldn't have recognized the face, the hair, the small body or the nervous voice as it spoke to him, words that he couldn't understand leaving lips that made no impression on his memory. He met her eyes, desperate for some clue of who she was, desperate to get rid of the pain clutching at his stomach, that told him he did know her, should know her... It was amazing what her eyes told him.  
The whites were shot with red, the pupils were wide with fear and worry, and the edge of the iris was a brown tint that he would never have noticed at another time. Still he didn't recognize, didn't acknowledge her, until he saw that same shade of grey that shone back from James' eyes... And yet it wasn't James at all. James' eyes weren't shot with brown, nor were they quite so innocent, so fearful and yet so... so admirable.  
"Lily!" He gasped, remembering in a rush of emotion who she was; he remembered the feel of her caramel coloured locks under his hand, the sound of her laughter as he cracked a joke, the warmth of her hand as they had run through corridors together, with another person he couldn't quite remember... and then he remembered the way she felt in his arms, how her head came to rest on his chest as he'd hugged her in a mass of green and silver that fell to the floor, and how he'd pulled her into him so unexpectedly, and how her arms had felt around his chest... He tried to breathe, tried to calm himself, and yet he couldn't... he was so lonely, so cold... He desperately wanted to hold her, to feel her head rest on his heart, just so he knew that he was still alive...  
"Are you ok?" Lily asked quietly, kneeling down on his side and meeting his eyes with concern... Ricardo stared at her, his hand reaching up to stroke her cheek without conscious thought, before he pulled her to him in desperation, his tears falling thick and fast down his cheeks as he buried his face in her neck and clung to her needily.  
Lily gasped at his sudden movement, but then hugged back, arms round him as he continued to cry onto her shoulder.

**And now, we get away from the stuff in Danger of Dreams. Don't think I haven't noticed the bits that are almost identical lol, but it's needed to get the story going. It's going to get more interesting soon I hope.**  
**Reviews please!**  
**Sorry about the length of time between updates :( been busy.**  
**Mage of the Heart**


	3. Pinky Swear

I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters

**I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters**

**--**

He had no concept of time, no idea how long he sat there with his head buried in Lily's neck, tears streaming down his face and dampening the soft material of her dressing gown. He felt so safe, so protected, that he found it hard to believe he could ever let her go. She rubbed her back, in a way so similar to his beloved guardian Eva, that he felt truly at home for the first time in a long while. Her small arms around his chest somehow made his breathing and heart rate slow to normal, his loud sobs dying down, even though the tears continued to fall. She made a move to release him, her grip around his back lessening...

"Don't let go..." he whispered helplessly, holding her tighter to him, "Please don't let go... not yet... don't let go yet..." His helplessness, his utter sense of defeat, called to her so greatly that she could feel her own tears building in her eyes, burning at them, hot and stinging and threatening to spill over.

"I won't." She said quietly, hearing the crack in her own voice and wishing above all else that she could be slightly less emotional, slightly less open to the hurt of people around her. "I promise I won't let go," she whispered, and she knew that he'd heard the difference in her voice, heard the tears that threatened to break out. He lifted his head, his blue eyes glistening with tears that still fell silently down his face as they met her own, slightly wet, grey eyes, which shone out in the darkness.

He felt guilt wash over him, yet couldn't bring himself to let go, to let her leave him alone in the cold Common Room where he would dwell only on his nightmares.

"Are you ok?" Lily asked tentatively, and for the first time, Ricardo noted the way she bit her trembling lip, the way her hair was mussed on one side...

"I'm fine..." he said numbly. He knew it was unconvincing, and he knew that she knew it. With a sigh, he whispered. "No... I'm not..." and he pulled her close again, desperate to feel that closeness once more, to have her holding him and keeping him safe... It was a wonderful and horrifying thing to learn, that while James had been keeping him sane, calming him down for the last six years, James could not, would not, have brought the same calm to Ricardo that Lily did now, as she held him close and allowed him to cry unashamedly on her shoulder.

"Do you want to sit down?" Ricardo said eventually, reluctantly releasing her and pulling himself up to sit on the sofa, putting his face in his hands in utter helplessness. He kneaded his eyeballs with them, trying to stem the flow of tears as he felt the sofa dip next to him, where she sat down lightly and silently. He could feel her eyes on him, and felt the urge to look round and meet them, to hold her gaze and take the reassurance that he saw in their grey depths.

"What was it?" she asked after several moments, and he looked at her carefully, seeing mild intrigue, but, more obviously, concern.

"A dream," He said simply, blinking his tears away.

She smiled at him weakly. "They're not real though..."

Ricardo wanted to tell her; he wanted to tell her so badly that his stomach clenched and his lungs seemed compressed. He managed a gentle nod and a forced, "yeah."

"They're just dreams," Lily went on, nodding to herself.

"Yeah... course they are..." His voice was monotonous and she was, again, unconvinced.

"What happened?" She queried gently.

He shook his head, looking away. "I can't tell you." He said bluntly. "I'm sorry, Lily... you're just... you're too young."

The use of her first name on his lips made her stomach swoon, and she pulled her knees up to her chest, rubbing her feet gently, both in an attempt to return some warmth to them, and to hide her nerves from him. Ricardo remained oblivious as he looked back at her. "You can go back to bed if you want," he offered softly. "I don't mind. I'll be alright here, I promise, I'll just..." he trailed off, waving his hand for emphasis.

"No, I'm ok," Lily said softly. "I wouldn't... well... I wouldn't sleep well now if I went anyway."

Shame shone from Ricardo's eyes and she shook her head. "No, it's not you!" She assured him, "I just... it's late... and I don't sleep well when it's late…"

Ricardo smiled, not sure whether she was telling the truth, or if she was simply being friendly. Either way, he felt gratitude welling up in his chest. They sat in silence, and Ricardo battled with himself inwardly as he looked at the small girl who was sat shivering mere centimetres from him. He wanted to hold her, to take comfort in her warmth, feel her heart beside his, to feel the reassurance of her small body against his side, to remember how it felt to be safe, because once again, in the moments since they'd pulled apart, he was overcome with a sense of loneliness.

It wasn't in the least a sexual urge; he was not lusting after her, or craving female company in that sense, he simply needed the companionship that she brought with her, the promise of comfort that, for insignificantly short minutes, seemed to have made the dark room in which he sat slightly lighter. He made up his mind in a split second, and smiled at her. "Are you cold?"

She nodded her head slightly, and he edged closer, placing an arm gently around her shoulder and pulling her against his chest, both arms enveloping her small body. She rested her head lightly and comfortably on his chest, her breath tickling the lightly tanned skin.

"One day I'll tell you," he said suddenly, so suddenly that not even he was expecting it, and yet he was not really surprised by it.

"Really?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Promise." And he brought a hand up to her hair, absently stroking it and taking comfort in the softness of it.

"Pinky swear?" she asked, voice rising slightly in childish amusement. Ricardo grinned, amused.

"Pinky swear." Lily smiled into his chest, hesitating momentarily before she lifted her left hand to the one that stroked her hair, pushing her little finger around his and giving it a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back, smiling, not letting go.

"They happen alot.. don't they?" Her voice was shy, almost fearful.

Ricardo nodded. "Yeah... every night."

She slid her spare arm around his back, shifting slightly closer to him. "They'll go away..." she murmured, eyes fluttering shut.

"Maybe one day..." he whispered. "I hope so..."

He held her for a long while before he realized that she had drifted off to sleep, her breath gentle and regular on his skin. He smiled, knowing he would not fall back to sleep himself, but content to hold her as he sat there, feeling blissfully peaceful as he listened to her, watching her small face with a smile on his lips.

His silent moment of tranquility was interrupted by the silky voice of Severus Snape, and Ricardo jumped, looking round to see the dark-robed Professor advancing across the Common Room, robes billowing out behind him.

"Mister Marquinez," Snape said silkily, his eyes scanning the scene before him. Ricardo started, looking down in horror at his bare chest, at Lily, in her dressing gown, with his arms still wrapped around her. "It's not what it looks like!" Ricardo said defensively, not daring to move in case he awoke her.

Snape smirked. "And what, pray tell, does it look like, Mister Marquinez? Hmm?"

Feeling his cheeks burn with guilt, he said. "It's not.. we didn't... she was just... I'm not.."

"Yes... I am sure Mister Black would see things your way, especially if you were to explain your near nakedness in such close proximity with his sister..." his smirk could not have been more pronounced. "Perhaps you should accompany me to my office, Mister Marquinez, and we can discuss this _properly._" The emphasis on that final word made a lump suddenly appear in his throat, and he could not seem to displace it.

Ricardo nodded, slowly and shakily disentangling himself from Lily, rather reluctantly releasing her finger from his and gently lowering her to the cushions, resting her head down lightly before following Snape, feeling both sheepish and embarrassed.

--

He'd been in the Head of House's office before on numerous occasions, with James after particularly large pranks, or by himself after he jinxed people in the corridor... but until now, he had never been honestly scared of what could happen to him there. Snape was known for being lenient to his own students, yet knowing that Snape had a certain bond with Lily and James' mother was enough to turn his stomach and make him want to vomit.

Snape took a seat, his dark eyes searching as Ricardo tried not to look guilty. It was rather difficult though, given the rather compromising position he had just been discovered to be in.

"Perhaps, Mister Marquinez, you should explain yourself, and quickly, if you wish to remain at Hogwarts past morning."

Ricardo looked at the floor, feeling his mouth go dry. "It was just... she came down and I was... we didn't do anything!"

Snape spoke again, firmly. "I said, explain yourself, Mister Marquinez, not 'blabber excessively until I am driven to an early grave'."

Ricardo closed his eyes briefly, then met Snape's dark eyes with his own. "I had a... nightmare. And she was... she came to the Common Room... I don't know why... but she woke me up and... kept me company." He wondered vaguely if Snape would believe him, or if, had Ricardo been hearing this story from someone else, he himself would have. It struck him that he would not, and was all but preparing himself for expulsion when Snape spoke, surprisingly softly and with something akin to understanding in his silken voice.

"Am I to understand that you are experiencing the same dreams that Mister Black explained to me before term, that meant you required his... _company_...?"

Ricardo felt embarrassment flushing his cheeks, but knew that, had Snape not known his pathetic story, he would have already been sent packing.

"Yes." Ricardo said quietly.

"In which case," Snape said, rounding the desk and looking at him carefully, "I would advise a Draught of Dreamless sleep."

"Don't you think I've tried that?" Ricardo snapped angrily. He regretted it instantly as he saw the Professor's dark eyes flash.

"I warn you, Mister Marquinez, that it is not in your best interest to yell at me, especially while I hold your possible future at this school in the palm of my hand!"

Ricardo nodded. "I'm sorry Professor."

There was a stretched silence, during which Ricardo was certain the Professor delighted in watching him stew with fear and guilt. "I still fail to see, Marquinez, how you found yourself in such a compromising position with your best friends' sister."

"I... it just happened... I felt safe..." it sounded pathetic, and he knew it.

"You realize that Miss Black's parentage is one of notoriety, I assume?"

Nodding, he replied bluntly, "yes."

"In which case, I would not advise such close proximity with Sirius Blacks daughter in future. If you had witnessed his... protective qualities, as I have, you would realize that there is little he would not do to someone who he thought posed a threat to a member of his family... his daughters and wife most of all." Ricardo did not ask what he meant; he was quite sure he did not want to know.

"She's just a friend..." Ricardo said helplessly.

"A friend who is six years your junior, and with whom any sexual contact is most definitely prohibited!"

Ricardo's head snapped up so fast it cracked. "Excuse me? I just told you, nothing happened!"

"Perhaps not yet, Mister Marquinez, but the outsider who views the two of you in nightclothes and bare-chested may not be as understanding as I have been."

James.

Both Ricardo and Snape thought it, and guilt flooded Ricardo's stomach.

"I promise I didn't..."

"It is not I that requires that assurance!" Snape stalked over to the door and pulled it open. "You are dismissed."

Ricardo stared at him, then nodded. "Goodnight Professor." He walked out, and the door was shut behind him without another word.

--

He walked past the sofa quietly, looking down at Lily, whose eyes were closed in peaceful slumber, and whose hand held lightly onto the tassels of the sofa. Smiling weakly, Ricardo picked his wand up from the table in front of the chair, waving it briefly. A green blanket fell lightly over her small body, tucking itself lightly around her to keep her warm.

"Night Lily," he whispered quietly. He bent over her briefly, pressing his lips to her forehead in gratitude, knowing she would never know he had done so, but feeling it necessary just to show his gratitude towards her. She stirred slightly, and he stood up slowly, leaving her sleeping soundly and returning to his bed, head swimming with mixed emotions he could not decipher.

--

He didn't sleep again. Instead, he lay in his bed fighting with himself, listing all the reasons that he shouldn't feel guilty about holding her so close, and feeling completely at ease with her breath on his bare skin… and yet however he looked at it, however innocent he made himself out to be, he could not shake the feeling that he was betraying James' trust by holding his younger sister like that. Was it really such a bad thing for him to hold Lily as he had done, or to press a kiss to her forehead in gratitude? He tried to tell himself no, that it was natural to need her physical closeness, that there was nothing wrong with being close to his friends sister, that it was simply because she was the only person in the room, the only person who was there to comfort him.

Yet it was James' sister. James, who he had sworn never to hurt, never to betray. James, who had always been there for him, comforting him on nights where he had nobody else to turn to… He couldn't understand why suddenly James' comfort seemed so lacking, so insignificant. Was it simply that Lily had given him that compassion, that comfort that he so longed for? He told himself, as he listened to James' gentle breathing on the other side of the room, that James would put his arms around him if he so wished, though the thought made Ricardo cringe somewhat; he would not hold James' head to his chest and stroke his hair after all.

--

He could hardly hold interest in conversation for more than a minute at breakfast, and though he joined in with James and Deneb's conversation regarding a girl on the Gryffindor table, he couldn't help but feel as though he wasn't all there. He felt distracted, guilty and confused, and when he stood up to leave, he was confronted with the young girl who had fallen asleep in his arms mere hours previously. He smiled at her, his stomach churning, knowing that his face betrayed the nerves and complete perplexity that he was feeling. He saw the smile she sent his way, which showed confusion and hurt that he couldn't help but feel responsible for, and he left the room quickly, trying to forget the fact he'd cried so easily in her arms.

--

He struggled through a double period of Potions, during which Snape eyed him like a hawk, as though he expected Ricardo to pull Lily out of his cauldron and begin cuddling and caressing her. Ricardo worked even harder than usual, concentrating every ounce of brainpower he possessed on every single task he set his mind to. He sliced his ingredients with an accuracy that surprised even him, he read and re-read every line of the instructions, despite knowing each by heart, and he stirred and counted with such deliberation that James and Deneb both questioned his unusually quiet state. He shrugged it off, attempting to sound cool, and yet when he met James' eyes, he felt that his friend must have read the lies and deceit from his irises, and tore his gaze away hurriedly.

Snape looked out to spite him, and claimed his Potion to be 'passable', scratching a black, spikey 'A' onto his parchment, to the shock of his friends and classmates. Ricardo met Snape's dark eyes, and nodded his understanding before sitting back down and waiting for James and Deneb, who both returned, bewildered, with E's scratched on their parchment, despite the fact their potions had turned a horrific green, instead of the soft lilac colours that the textbook- and Ricardo's own potion – demonstrated.

--

**Another one up… Albeit a little short, but it's a necessary break. Obviously, I couldn't put a lot of dialect in there between Ricardo/Lily during the night because he just needed a hug (awwwwww). **

**Unfortunately I won't be able to update for another week (at least) because I'm off on holiday and doubt I'll get any internet access on my laptop. **

**Anyway, please leave reviews for when I return, and I'll get back to work as soon as I'm home…**

**Pinky swear :p**

**Feel free to read the other stories as well and keep yourself amused!**

**Mage of the Heart**


	4. Maybe This Christmas

**I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters**

------

He didn't see Lily again until breaktime, when he found her sat in a secret passageway that James had shown him a few years previously. At first, Ricardo considered leaving her be, and avoiding the difficult confrontation that he knew was neccesary, but wasn't sure he was ready for.

"Lily?" He asked tentatively, slowing his steps down as he held the tapestry open, as though debating retreat. She looked up at him from her large book and smiled brightly, waving her wand and making it disappear into nothing. He grinned at her ability and walked in, sitting himself down beside her, looking up at the flickering light on the wall.

"So James told you about this one too huh?"

Lily grinned. "Yes."

Nodding, Ricardo looked around at the familiar, small corridor, dusty yet surprisingly free of insects and bugs one might expect. "Do you come here often?" He said softly, looking at her sidelong and inquisitive.

She shrugged. "When I want to be alone. Or when I'm reading..."

He smiled. "Getting away from everyone else, right?"

Lily blushed, nodding her head slowly.

"Do you want me to go?" He asked eventually, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

She shook her head fiercely. "No. It's just that Scorpius doesn't like silences, so he always asks questions about stupid things..."

Unable to resist a jab at the other boy, Ricardo said, "does he know about this place?"

Lily smiled, "no."

"You didn't tell him?" Ricardo asked, feigning shock.

"Why would I?" She asked, sounding slightly bored.

"He's your best friend!"

"James is my best friend." It was a factual statement, and for some reason it slightly hurt Ricardo's feelings. He pushed the thought away and nodded.

"He's my best friend too..."

Lily smiled. "Mine first though."

He shrugged. "Technicality."

There was a comfortable silence, before Ricardo looked at her once more and whispered, in a voice almost undetectable, "thank you."

She looked at him, frowning. "For what?"

He raised an eyebrow. "For sitting in the dark and reading your book," he drawled sarcastically. She smiled.

"That's ok. I enjoy it."

Ricardo looked at her briefly, then nodded. "Me too." He wasn't really sure what she enjoyed, or if he was pushing the limits too far, but then suddenly she had shuffled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Ricardo?"

"Yeah..?" he asked mutely.

"Do you think Scorpius fancies me?"

There was a strange twinge in his stomach as she said it, and he wished dearly that it would simply go. "Yes..." he answered stiffly. "At least..." he sighed. "Yeah... he probably does."

Lily waited several seconds before asking quietly, "how do I tell him no?"

Smirking, he whispered, "tell him you're secretly in love with me."

She giggled, but shook her head. "I don't think so... that's our little secret."

Ricardo pulled her against him tightly, pressing his face into her hair and whispering to her quietly. "Pinky swear?"

"Pinky swear." She replied, grasping his little finger and squeezing. He smiled.

"If you were four years older..." Ricardo said softly, then stopped himself, sighing.

"If I was four years older what?" She asked, pulling back.

Ricardo looked at her, then smiled. "It doesn't matter Lily, really..."

She shrugged. "Ok..."

-----

Naturally, he realized as he walked down the corridor that he had made a foolish mistake, one that he himself couldn't begin to describe or decipher. He didn't understand the feelings slowly mutating within his stomach, causing a combination of delight and pain everytime he saw his best friends innocent sister. There was no reason for any of it, and though he hoped desperately that he was somehow misreading his own body and minds signals, he was beginning to realize that something was not quite right; when it came to Lily Black, Ricardo was in turmoil.

When it came to Lily Black, Ricardo was becoming intricately obsessed.

When it came to Lily Black, Ricardo began to realize he was stuffed.

----

A month seemed to pass, and Ricardo watched it go by without really noting any of it. James began seeing a Gryffindor, much to the chagrin of the rest of the school. He was sleeping with her, eating with her, doing homework with her, even occasionally flying with her, despite being on opposing teams. Ricardo didn't really talk to her; he didn't really care. More important to him was James' younger sister, who seemed to manage to appear at every moment of his spare time; he couldn't find the reasons to send her away, despite knowing it was ridiculous. Still his mind and heart battled to decipher his feelings for her, yet nothing seemed clear; the idea of kissing her was ridiculous and, in reality, sickening, but there was an inept pull that seemed to emanate from her, which made him want to spend every available moment in her presence. He was terrified and excited whenever her head appeared round the corner. There was nothing better in the world to him recently than wrapping his arms around her in a gesture of goodnight as she headed toward bed, and yet at the same time, it became the most horrifying and awful part of his day. And then, in the last week of term, as his turmoil seemed to be drawing to a close, James asked him the same question he posed every year; did he want to spend Christmas at James' house? He initially thought no, but instead, he said he'd think about it. He could tell from James' face that he was shocked, but Ricardo found himself seriously considering the possibility of Christmas and New Years at the Black's household.

And then he was sat opposite to Lily at dinner, and the answer fell out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "James... you reckon your Mum and Dad'll let me drink?"

James spluttered into his drink and looked at him blankly. "You're actually going to come?"

Ricardo shrugged and looked at his bowl. "Yeah... I reckon I'll give it a shot anyway... I mean... I don't have anything better to do and.. well... your Dad might be interesting."

James grinned, and looked as though he might say something, but was then pulled backwards into a kiss by his girlfriend Lola, who decided to take that moment to plunder his mouth with her tongue and not allow him to surface for an hour. Lily made a vomiting noise and Ricardo grinned, looking up with a sly wink. "Nice view Lily?"

She stuck her tongue out. "So you're coming for Christmas are you?" She asked, swiftly changing the subject. Scorpius looked disgruntled, to Ricardo's delight.

"You bet'ya." He spooned cereal into his mouth and smiled. She beamed at him happily, then turned to Scorpius and engaged him in a conversation about transfiguration homework.

-----

A week later, as he sat on the loud, rattling scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts express, he was having second thoughts; two weeks of uninterrupted time in Lily's presence, with James' and his two brothers there too, and under the watchful eye of an alleged -though admittedly untrue- mass-murderer, sent chills to his very core, and he considered that when he got off the platform he would run through the crowds and apparate as quickly as possible to his own home... yet as he rose to collect his trunk, he felt a small hand tugging at his sleeve, and looked down into Lily's eyes as she smiled brilliantly up at him. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand, "James said to make sure you don't run off while he's in the toilet."

Ricardo couldn't help but grin; only James would think that low of him. "Alright," he said, momentarily convinced that running away was an incomprehensible idea anyway; he'd only have James to face in two weeks when he had to see him again. "But maybe don't hold my hand in front of your dad," he winked, "he might think I'm making demands of wedlock before warranted as 'proper'."

Lily giggled, but pulled him along anyway, not releasing his hand. "He won't mind!"

Ricardo wasn't so sure. "Are you positive about that..? I'd mind very much!"

Lily smiled, "yes, but you're not my Dad."

Thankfully, Ricardo thought wryly, or this situation would be even stranger than it already is. "Do you think he'll like me?" He asked, suddenly nervous.

Giggling, Lily pulled him forward. "I don't know," she grinned. "Maybe he will... maybe he won't."

He gulped. It was alright for her to laugh; she'd grown up with him.

-----

As it turned out, Sirius appeared to be simply an older version of James; aside from a few flecks of grey in his dark crop of hair, his smile, eyes and laugh were every bit like the seventeen year old boy who reappeared a few minutes later with his hair slightly mussed and a smudge of lipstick on the corner of his mouth. Ricardo and Lily exchanged a quick grin, then looked away, sniggering like two little children who'd eaten too many sweets. As they reached Sirius, Lily released Ricardo's hand and threw her arms around her fathers waist. A joyous laugh emanated from the older mans throat as he lifted his eleven year old daughter into his arms and spun her around joyously.

"Theres my girl!" he laughed, squeezing Lily's small frame in a tight hug, setting her down with a warm smile that none of his younger sons had managed to elicit. Ricardo watched as James was greeted by his father, pulled into a hug that spoke volumes, but Sirius' eyes returned to Lily, and James, nor Remus nor Alastor, seemed remotely surprised, as they were greeted by their mothers glowing smile. Ricardo watched from the outside, feeling sectioned off from both Lily and James by the force of their families closeness in their reunion. He sighed, feeling empty, shoving his hands in his pockets, and looked around.

A small hand closed on his arm,and he looked down to see Lily looking up expectantly. "Dad," she said, pulling Ricardo forward slightly. "This is Ricardo. James' friend."

Sirius looked at Ricardo in assessment, eyes trailing up from toes to head, a smirk tugging at his lips as he spoke. "James' friend hey, Lily?"

Lily blushed red, just as Ricardo struggled to keep eye contact with the ex-convict who looked as though he were picking out a broomstick. Sirius looked at him for a moment, then winked. "I'm Sirius Black," he said, offering a hand in greeting. Ricardo took it, comforted by the rough callouses that peppered the other mans hand.

"Ricardo Marquinez," he said, dropping Sirius' hand after a few moments. A horrible, all too familiar, look of recognition reached Sirius' eyes.

"Marquinez?" He repeated, his voice soft. "As in...?"

"Yeah," Ricardo said abruptly, looking away and blinking rapidly.

Sirius stared for a few moments, and both of them remained oblivious to Lily looking from one to the other in confusion. "Right then," Sirius said finally, "Hermione come over here and meet Ricardo!"

Thanful for the distraction, Ricardo looked up, smiling kindly at Hermione Black as she reached out to give him a gentle, mothering hug, which he returned gladly, hiding his slight surprise and taking comfort from the woman who he'd heard so much about. "It's good to meet you both," Ricardo said, pulling away and nodding briefly to Sirius.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Hermione smiled. "You may well think differently after a week with this lot!"

Grinning, Ricardo nodded, and out of the corner of his eye saw James smiling with relief. A smile passed over his own lips as he fell into step with the family; maybe this Christmas, he'd have fun.

----

**I need to apologize. I'm at Uni now, and I don't get much time for my fanfiction. I'll try to get back into it as much as possible though. Sorry!**

**Reviews appreciated.**

**Mage of the Heart**


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